


Vulnera

by Basilico



Series: Let's meet again someday [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Lots of it, Love, M/M, Memories, Mutual Pining, Old Feelings, Slow Burn, THEY'RE DORKS, aaah. Now we're good, akwardness, and last but not least, certainly drunk, more than friends, probably drunk, relationship, they're never gonna admit it thou, what a sad thing, wound
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-10-28 22:03:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20785772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Basilico/pseuds/Basilico
Summary: Shanks and Buggy have met before marineford. How is it so? Well, Shanks had just gotten injured in the eye thanks to Marshall D. Teach, and decided to spend a couple of years in the East blue; just to rest a bit, explore with his nakama and get away from prying eyes. In the exact same time, Buggy had been wandering around East blue for some years, and he was now a... let's say beloved captain. They were both happy with their lives; sure they weren't satisfied, but that's the game, isn't it? They both were ready to face everything in order to reach their goals... well, not everything, even better: not everyone; not ready to face each other again so soon.





	Vulnera

**Author's Note:**

> HEY! This is the first story I write about these two dorks. I'm probably going to make a serie out of it, but it'lltake time.  
NOW, vulnera is the plural form of the Latin word vulnus-vulneris, and means wounds. Ok, enough talking! Enjoy!

That place was hot as heck. His left eye had been pulsing hard at least for half an hour, and his head felt like an enormous, yet extremely light balloon; but Shanks didn't care the slightest: as long as he was with his companions, and had some kind of alcoholic beverage at hand, he was fine. He was laughing; he'd been doing it all night long, and had no intention to stop. It was at least midnight, and the pub was getting pretty crowded. As people entered, Shanks recognized some customers who had been there just the night before... and the one before that, and the one before that.

"Say Roo" Shanks called out for his friend, who was now eating the fifth piece of meat of the night. "How... how many days have we been you know..." he spaced out for a second, staring at his half-full glass of god knows what "Here?". "You mean here at the pub or here on the island?" was there a difference anyway? Shanks smiled. "Is there a difference anyway?" Lucky Roo seemed to think intensively about that. "Well, since we _did_ walk in here..." Yasopp, visibly wasted almost shouted "I guess we've also been... y'know on the street, and the shore, and the-the thing, the... you know?" sounds of approval came from every member of the crew, whilst Shanks started laughing recklessly.

His eye ached every second more, and alcohol was not having any kind of effect; but he was just not in the mood of killing the party, nor wanted his companions to worry about him. "We've been here for at least a week now, we should sett off tomorrow" Benn Beckman spoke, after taking a sip of his dark beer. Shanks was kind of disappointed, but also knew that the island they were actually on, wasn't exactly the best place to live on, let's say for a month or two, as they usually did. "If that's so, we have to celebrate!"

"Ehy there at the bar!" the Readhead shouted standing up without knowing exactly where to look "Another round for me and my nakamas!". While everyone cheered and laughed at their captain's attitude, his first mate Benn stood chuckling next to him, putting a hand on his back in order to support him. "Easy there cap'tan, I think we're good for now" he gave a look to Yasopp. "Aw Benn! I had totally forgot you were such an ol' man!" thirtyfive years wasn't actually that much, but the first mate was indeed eleven years older than his captain, and Shanks just loved to see Benn's astonished and embarrassed expression every time he pointed it out. "C'mon Benn, don't take him seriously" One crew member, on a different table spoke up. "Shank's probably drunk, aren't cha?". The redhead laid down on his first mate's shoulder with the most tired expression he could make and said "Mhh... dunno, maybe". 

He was not, but still liked the idea of going back to the ship carried by someone, and not having to make even a single step. However, in that exact moment, as he felt the heat coming from Benn's body, Shanks found himself closing his good eye out of tiredness. He was not prepared to that, and worst of all, was not expecting to feel incapable of backing up again. 

It lasted a second; but in that second, Shanks felt his blood pumping frantically, his wound getting swollen, his head getting heavier and heavier; and then, a sharp pain hit him in the back of his skull. Was the wound getting infected? He sure didn't want fever again... spending a whole week in his bed vomiting and staring at the ceiling wasn't exactly what he'd planned.

He felt a strong grip on his arm, and suddenly woke up facing the table.

"Shanks?" Benn's voice felt like a screw drilling his left ear. "Is everything alright? Maybe you should cut with the alcohol for tonight". Shanks looked up at his mate, then stared for a second at the hand that was still holding him. "Yeah, you're right" he chuckled, backing off a bit "I'd better go get some fresh air, this place is getting busy!". His mates shared a look of concern. "Al' right" Lucky Roo spoke up:"We'll come looking for your drunk ass at dawn cap'tan". Shanks made a enthusiastic grin, while grabbing the pub's door handle. "You guys are the best! See ya!". And he was off.

Air was freezing compared to the inside; the sky was cloudy and black, although it didn't seem like it was going to rain. I fact, it already did, and had been doing it for at least five days. That's why people kept coming, but few actually seemed to leave; and even though Shanks was not scared of a copule of raindrops... or a couple of seventeen feet high waves, he wasn't in any kind of hurry, so...

His head was getting better, but he still wasn't ready to go back in the pub, get all the screams, and the sweat, and the laughs. "Maybe I could take a nap" he thought, but the street was all wet and he really was not in the mood of sleeping in the mud. "Maybe tomorrow" he smiled to himself. Shanks then pressed his right hand onto his other arm, in the exact point were Benn had held him a few minutes back. It had felt almost odd, like it was something private, intimate, a strange sensation he felt like he needed to shake off his body. "And so you backed off like a scared brat" he said under his breath, then sighed, caressing the bandages covering his left temple. "It's just stress, you're doing fine". Shanks was about to close his good eye, when noticed something odd walking on the other side of the street. He blinked twice for the surprise: it was a strange, pretty big dog... no, it wasn't a dog; more like a giant cat, but with thicker fur, and claws, and it was a lion. A big-dog-sized lion cub. "Wha-" As Shanks Spoke, the animal immediately looked towards him, and with a hungry and desperate expression, crossed the road seeking for some kind of meal, or attention, Shanks wasn't completely sure, but smiled anyway.

"Hey there, buddy" He said, crouching down in order to pet the animal. The lion let him do so for a bunch of seconds, perhaps to establish a contact, make itself pitiful, and get some food. "You hungry?" Shanks knew that was a rhetorical question, and immediately continued:"You know, they would probably give you something in this place behind me, 'cause really, I don't have anything to giv-". Once he had pronounced those words, the animal lost every interest in him, and started acting vaguely. Shanks chuckled lightly "I appreciate your honesty".

He was about to stand up, take a look around, maybe go exploring a couple of forgotten streets, when suddenly:"EHY YOU STRAW HAT FREAK!" a high, loud, annoying and so damn familiar voice hit Shanks right in the chest. "Impossible..." he thought. He then tried to look up to that almost-surely-not-a-stranger; when felt a gloved hand grabbing his white, loose shirt and pulling him up. "Ehy!" Shanks protested, "Easy ther-" their eyes met. widened, and both their breaths got shut down.

A young man, with fair skin, dark eyes, a good amount of make-up on his face, and of course that big red nose; was standing before Shanks. He had his light blue shoulder-length hair in a half ponytail, and his mouth was blocked in a crooked, half wide, pretty dumb and shocked grin. Once the redhead noticed it, he had to hold himself from laughing hard.

They stared at each other in complete silence for almost a minute. Shanks' heart was pumping faster and faster, and he just could not help giving the other man one of those big, calm smiles that he knew, Buggy loved so much.  
He really did. And when Shanks smiled, the blu-haired man felt a sharp pain in his guts, and his grip loosening. There was no mistake: that untidy, careless, visibly half dead guy was his old... nakama Shanks. He had changed, well not that much; but still Buggy found himself unable to act in his presence. He was about to detach his hand from the rest of his body and back off a little; but something deep inside told him not to move, nor blink. It was some kind of curiosity: he wanted to know if the other one felt the same...

"Buggy..." the blue haired guy was so tense he almost jumped at the call; but still avoided talking. Shanks continued:"Haven't seen you in ages!". Seriously? after all those years, and the awful, embarrassing, awkward, unfair and painful way they had parted ways back there in Loguetown; the first thing that Idiot could say was "HaVen'T SEen yOu iN aGEs"? Unbelievable. Buggy's smile curled into a tense and angry way. "You..." his voice was deep and raspy. That tone changed Shanks' expression in less than one second, and that made Buggy feel so damn confident he half-closed his eyes and made a sly smirk. "Put your filthy hands away from my lion". He stated, looking the other one right in the eye

Shanks widened his good eye, seeming even dumber than what Buggy remembered. "Wait, you're telling me this is yours?" he gave a look to the animal, who was now scooping in a trashcan. "Yeah, he is Richie: our super-loyal most savage crew member". He was not. Shanks made a dubious expression, so Buggy continued:"Richie, go back to the ship, would ya?". And he walked away. Was he heading to the shore? No. Was he listening to "his captain"? He was not; for Richie was a free lion, and whether he decided to spend that night is not for us to know.

Buggy gave Shanks a conceited look. "Told ya".

"Well" the redhead chuckled "Seems like your leadership skills have improved". Buggy gave him a confident look. "Who do you think you're talking to?". But in that moment he remembered his right hand was still holding onto Shanks' shirt; and also noticed the other man looking at it with a lopsided smile. Buggy was ready for some kind of pun, or teasing phrase; that's what Shanks would have done... but nothing happened, and they both fell in an odd silence. Again. Buggy left the grip, then met that freaking smile of Shanks', and then again felt that pain; like if someone was stabbing him in the stomach. He wanted to leave, like immediately: go back to his two crew members, on his flashy yet still small ship, spending time drinking and chatting till' dawn. Thank god he had learnt how to hide and lie with his body language, for he was now feeling deeply uncomfortable, and barely had the strength of looking the other one in the eye.

"Buggy" once again, the blue haired man started at the call, but stayed quiet. "I'm not going back inside, wanna go for a walk?". Shanks was looking right into his soul, and Buggy could do nothing but stare at him with the most neutral expression he had. "Boy, you really do miss me" he then said ironically.

"Yeah" Shanks started walking. "I guess I do".

the blue-haired man widened both his eyes, and kept that face on until he made it up to Shanks' side. Buggy felt... strange. It did not felt fluttering, nor amusing; just a bit melancholic and also kind of annoying; but it was indeed in Shanks' style. "Aw right! I had totally forgot you were such an ol' man". In a split of second, Shanks faced Buggy with the most shocked expression the blue-haired man had ever seen. "Ehy chill" Buggy made a grin. "I'm talkin' about your inside. you've become an old, sentimental dork". Shanks seemed to relax a bit, then stated:"Well you know the right word's not older: it's taller". He did grew taller in those seven years; and Buggy just could not stop thinking about how the mature look, with that shadow of beard, along with the muscular body shape, and that slim jawline Shanks did not have back in his seventeens; was really good on that redhead.

They arrived in some kind of plaza with almost no one around; there was a fountain, and a pretty bad illumination system. "So" Buggy stopped near an almost useless streetlamp. "What's up with the eye? Say, did you fall on the deck or somethin'?". He chuckled, then imagined the scene, staring at nothing. "Yup, I can totally see it". Buggy was about to describe it in a flashy, yet memorable and probably worth listening to, story; when turning around and facing Shanks, he saw the most sardonic and tired smile, along with a deep sadness coming from his good eye. Buggy interpreted that as a "Please go ahead, make me laugh, make me forget, maybe your version is the one I'll spread around the world..." maybe not the last part. Now Buggy in every, and believe me when I say _every_ other occasion would have loved to make fun of his mate; laughed of whatever he would have said, and probably made out a bunch of annoying but pretty acute puns about it. In that moment though... he just did not want to make Shanks feel that pitiful. 

They stared at each other a little more. "What?" Shanks chuckled lightly, unable to scroll off that painful expression. Buggy tried to reach out for Shanks's left cheek, but stopped a few inches before, then looked him in the eye. "May I?". After a brief moment of surprise Shanks nodded, and the blue-haired's gloved hand started caressing gently the wound area. Buggy could clearly feel Shank's soft glare onto his face; the redhead was indeed staring with a half-closed, almost lazy eye. He was looking at Buggy's make up: an elegant, pretty simple reddish scar on the right eye (what a coincidence), along with three little black pois, almost resembling skin moles under each eye, and a intense shade of red lipstick. Those lips... Shanks tried to remember how did it felt like to kiss'em for the first time; and for the last. Would he have done it again? He was not sure. Anyway the warm thumb rubbing onto his cheek felt almost odd: it had been years since the last time someone had touched his face in that way... so caring, so sweet. Ok maybe he was a bit exaggerating, flying away with his mind. But the mere idea of crashing their lips together; feeling the heat coming from Buggy's body, caressing his hair; made the redhead feel so damn happy he couldn't help but smile. Buggy noticed it. That whole situation already felt pretty awkward; he sure was not ready to stand any kind of smile, nor an intense glare. And so he decided to do what he did better: avoid the problem.

Buggy grabbed Shanks' chin, leaving the other guy pretty confused; then started turning his face around in a pretty fast, unexpected and rough way; just like Crocus or Rayleigh would have done back then on the Oro Jackson with a fourteen-years-old Shanks. "Jeez...." Buggy acted natural. "How the hell did you...". Shanks managed to break free from the blue-haired's grip. "Ok chill, I'll tell you". He then went sitting on the fountain's edge. "How's that you've become so caring all out of sudden?".

After a brief moment of surprise and staring, Buggy faced the other man with a grin, then laughed out of loud. "I'm not _caring_!". He was; and that, was a denial. So freaking obvious! Buggy had been training almost every day in his speech skills, and in that moment he was good enough to recognize his errors; but still not able to prevent them. He had to act normally. Breathe. And start over: if he couldn't do it with someone like Shanks, how could he even think about taking over the whole pirate world?

He crossed his arms and shifted the weight onto his left leg. Shanks was basically eating him up with his eye, and Buggy kept feeling odd. "But seriously, you sure you're still alive? You've got a face...".

Shanks sighed, and was about to answer, when suddenly Buggy realized: that was Shanks... _just_ Shanks: that brat he had spent years bickering with, chatting with, but also sparring, making chores, drinking... making out with. They knew each other more than anyone else, and probably the Redhead had realized it way longer before him... maybe. He didn't need to feel so tense; and that glare the redhead kept giving him? It just meant Shanks still had the hots for Buggy, therefore he was now pretty much vulnerable. The blue-haired guy felt like the most confident man in the world, and so decided to enjoy the night and have some fun with his <strike>closest friend(?)</strike> new toy.

"You know what? I don't care 'bout how you fell face on your deck". He then made a smirk:"Again"

The redhead made a lopsided smile. "You're talking about that time in Watersev-"

"Yeah I'm talkin' about THAT day you dumbass!". As Buggy started laughing loudly Shanks shook his head, still smiling. "I'm not drunk enough to talk about it; BUT we can fix that". He stood up, then faced the other man. "Shall we?". Buggy shrugged. "Whatever dude". Everything would have been so much funnier that way! Buggy just needed to stay sober enough... yeah.

-

"And then I- I- ahahahah" Shanks stopped, resting onto the wall of some structure: a house, a bar; it didn't matter. At his side, Buggy was holding a bottle of rum.

"Yeah y-you went like" Buggy waved the bottle in the air, then looked up at the other man. "Rayleigh told you to..."

"Yes!" Shanks got closer to Buggy's face. "And I- ahah I completely igno- ingo- igon-". Buggy continued for him:"You didn't give a shit!"

The redhead took another sip from Buggy's bottle. "Exactly. THAT. And so I- I don't even remember! Ahahah" 

"The important thi- thin- the FACT IS: you fell face on the deck!" Shanks couldn't keep the other man's look and both of them started laughing. "I DID! And it hurted sooo much!" That was the third time they talked about it that night.

They both fell in a comfortable silence, until "Who the hell says 'hurted'?" Buggy pointed out. "I do". Shanks answered, whilst sitting on the ground and closing his eye. "I talk like a... y-you know a".

"A dumbass. Yeah, you always did". Buggy said. He then took off his coat and threw it onto that sleepy face of Shanks'. "Look at you!" He took a sip of rum, detached the upper part of his body, and floated until he was on Shank's stomach. "Rise and shine, the night's still young!" The redhead struggled, but in the end managed to uncover his face.

Their eyes met again. Shanks' eye flickered down to Buggy's lips for a couple of times. "What?" the blue-haired one smiled, half-closing his eyes.

"Your lipstick..." Shanks' voice was a mere whisper; his trembling thumb caressed slowly, yet firmly Buggy's lower lip. The other one watched in silence, hypnotized by that touch. "It's... pfff it's ah-all messed up". He started laughing again. "I-it's like, like...". Buggy chuckled. "Like what?". The redhead kept laughing recklessly, still not answering. "C'mon! Spit it out!". But it didn't seem like he was going to stop.  
"Well fuck off then!". Buggy re-attached his body together, and took another sip from the bottle. Getting away from Shanks' warm breath had felt a bit of a loss, but nothing the burning taste of that liquor could not fix.

it was half past four in the morning, and none of them knew whether they were; where going, nor where they had been.

Buggy sat on the ground in front of his... friend(?), and they stared at each other, passing the alcohol every now and then. 

"You know..." Shanks stared at nothing for a couple of seconds. "There's a monkey in my crew".

"YOU'VE GOT A MONKEY?" Buggy probably overreacted, but at that point he was no longer thinking straight.

Neither Shanks was. "N-no! It's not mine, you see... it's an indpen- dipende- a monkey with free will. I- I don't own any... anyone". 

"Aww Shanks! You're a pirate, of course you can own someone!" Buggy stood up stumbling, then helped the other one doing the same. Shanks was now smiling in a pretty dumb yet idly sweet way. Buggy was about to complain, when "Is that so?" the redhead started walking along with the other man. "Say, how... how many people do you like... own?"

Two, just two; and a lion of course. And they were now his whole world; and they admired, and loved him more than anyone else; and every time he looked at them, at their enthusiastic behavior, at their absolute trust; but also at their bickering, their way to solve problems, or to tell stories about basically everything... that, all of that made Buggy feel so proud of himself, so confident, so much like even though they were indeed three fools and a big cat, wandering around the ocean; he was doing great... just like _his_ captain had done back then.

But he didn't say any of this. 

"Twenty people... more or less y'know" Buggy made a smirk. "I don't care that much, never actually counted them all". Shanks had a dubious expression, but still nodded.

Eventually, they made it up to a strangely familiar plaza, with now no one around, a fountain, and a pretty bad illumination system. They both went sitting on the fountain's edge.

"Ehy Buggs have I told you about t-that time me and my crew went to that little island full of archaeologists?".

Buggy thought intensively about it. "Shanks... I dunno how to tell ya, but Ohara kinda blew up, remember?".

Shanks made again, like he could not control it, that goofy smile; then answered:"'M not talking 'bout Ohara, just... just another little island on the Grand Line".

Buggy took a sip of rum. "Ok, what about it?". The blue haired man was ready for some other embarrassing tale he would have remembered for the rest of his life.

"People there basically study six or seven different languages; but they're ancient ones: you can write and translate, but you can't use 'em to talk". That was kind of... out of Shanks' character, but Buggy deeply believed in an hilarious twist. 

Shanks continued:"Now, some of my nakamas were really interested, but for me? Eh, kinda cared, kinda not".

"That's a shame, they could have taught you how to speak properly" The blue-haired guy pointed out chuckling. But when he realized the other one hadn't laughed back, nor answered in any way, he managed to shut his mouth.

"But this word... ugh. I just can't get it off my mind. It's vulnus or vulner... whatever. But back then it meant wound, and now yo- you can just add a couple of letters and you get an adj- ajectiv- vulnerable, you get vulnerable".

Buggy strangely felt like that speech regarded him in some way, and now wanted to understand were was Shanks going.

"So basically" The redhead looked down at his lap. "We can say that vulnerable means... woundable". Before Buggy could say anything, Shanks faced him with the sweetest drunk smile he could make, then continued:"A pretty negative word indeed. An... and it's alright, if you don't feel like showing yourself that way. I understand".

Buggy felt a sudden void in his chest. And then he laughed loudly, as loudly as he could. "You understand WHAT? Eh?" He stood up. 

Shanks acted like nothing happened. "You know, the way you always mind your own business; keep your secrets and can change your image so quickly... I've always liked it". He also stood on his feet. "Call me crazy, but knowing you're doing a play makes the whole situation funnier. I... I". He chuckled, then looked down at the ground. 

Buggy was still, unable to move an inch. He didn't know what to do, what to think, what to say. He had to remember again: that man he was facing, was Shanks; _just_ Shanks... _his_ Shanks. Now that he finally had allowed himself to think about it; Buggy felt like his head was about to explode. Yup, any second now.

"Buggy" Shanks called out. They glared at each other. "Seriously, haven't seen you in ages. So pl-please... please tell me how you've been. How you've _really_ been".

The blue-haired one opened his mouth a couple of times without actually saying anything.  
It had been hard, like really hard; but Buggy had always managed to have a plan, or a way out, or some kind of help. 

Silence. Now Buggy was the one staring at his feet. Shanks did expect a reaction like that, and actually hoped it would have went that way. "Bug-"

"It's been... y'know, ok". And Buggy made a couple of stumbling-steps towards the redhead. "Everything went wond-wonderfully even without you!" He crashed his index finger on Shanks' bare chest; although for some strange reason, those words did hurt Buggy... maybe even more than they did with Shanks.

The other one, after giving a look to the finger, came back staring at Buggy's face. And... I don't know, maybe it was because of the alcohol, or the pulsing and painful wound, or simply the sight of someone who'd been so much important for him; but Shanks' voice just cracked. "How fun... I actually really missed you".

And that was it. Buggy couldn't take it anymore; his eyes widened, and he remained still, mere inches away from the other one's body. _"I missed you too"_. He wanted to say, but just... couldn't.

And so he kept quiet. And Shanks noticed that. And he got closer. And was about to kiss the other man, when:"May I?" he asked.

They were so close they could breathe the same air, and hardly look in each other's eyes. Buggy half-closed his eyelids... yeah, why not? He would have liked a kiss, one of Shanks' passionate kisses, or even a messy one, a caring one, really everything was good.

And that was the problem: everything would have been good.

No. They were frickin' drunk... even worse, they were completely wasted. What if Buggy, deep inside didn't wanted to do it? What if that kiss became something way much more intimate and embarrassing to discover the day after? What if Shanks didn't actually wanted to do it? Yeah, that redhead had always done things like that one, ending up regretting it the day after... that was so irresponsible, and the chances it would have happened? Pretty damn high. And anyway Shanks couldn't control him like that! After all the work Buggy had done to build up his own, flashy, awesome life, and to forget about that douche; he just could not throw everything away, start over, and include Shanks in his personal future plans...

But what if Shanks didn't want to be in Buggy's future plans? OF COURSE! That was just a way to hook up, have some fun, and say goodbye again like nothing happened. That bastard... Buggy was about to explode.

He pushed the other man away and looked him straight in the eye. "No!". Shanks looked pretty confused. "I'm not doing it now, not with you drunk-ass!".

"Wha-" The redhead tried to talk, but:"Shut up. You don't talk to me, you don't touch me, and most importantl-mportanly... impo- fuck off. You don't kiss me. Al'right?".

"Wha... what's wrong?" Shanks was getting worried.

Buggy started to walk away. "HA! Like if you cared".

And in that moment, Shanks got pretty pissed off. "Then what should I say, huh?". Buggy stopped. "It took you four liquor bottles to remember I've got a name; and still you said it twice... TWICE. What is it? You don't like it's sound or what?".

Buggy clenched his fists. "Whatever asshole".

And before Shanks could say anything, he was off.

-

It was dawn, and Shanks' crew found their captain sittin' on the ground with and angry, yet sad expression. His straw-hat was covering a good part of his face, perhaps hiding a couple of tears.

**Author's Note:**

> So you're telling me I've got 5000 characters to write a final note? Hm... seems something serious! Imma write some very important stuff:  
banana.  
AH, What a nice word!
> 
> Ok guys, this is actually the first story I write in english. You've probably noticed it's a little plain, but I'm going to improve! Was it too long? If you have any advice, feel free to leave a comment. Thank you for reading!


End file.
